Delicate Matters
by Hotaru
Summary: Wufei is the son of the emporer and meets Duo, the son of an American family visiting China. Things go awry, and Wufei blackmails his father!
1. Delicate Matters I

Delicate Matters 1/8

By: Hotaru

Okie! Before I start, lemme explain what's going on here. It's AU, kinda in ancient times I think and full of yaoi goodness! Wufei (don't we love him) is 15 still and is living with his parents who are big important emporer king people! Uh…Wufei isn't heir to the throne just yet…yeah. Duo's gonna pop in too!

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Chang Wufei glanced up from his book as he heard footsteps. He quickly slid the book under his bed and closed his eyes. His door opened and his father, Chang Chen stepped inside. [1] Wufei opened his eyes innocently. "Is there something you wanted father?" he asked. Chen nodded. "There will be a conference today and..I need you to stay out of the way. There are very important people that will be coming that will affect our trade."

/Wonderful. Another day I will have to spend alone in my room./ The palace Wufei lived in was so large, there were rooms that he was yet to see or discover for that matter. "So, it is of upmost importance to China's import and exportation that you don't get in the way. Do you understand?" Chen asked. Wufei nodded, not wanting to speak for even he could be lashed for talking in an un-deserving tone to the king. [2]

Chen bowed before leaving and closing the door quietly. "At least he has the decency to tell me in person." Wufei mused, reaching under his bed for the book. He had to keep it hidden, because his father always wanted the books he read to be approved of by Wufei's private tutors. Books about fantasy opposed to reality were not tolerated in the Chang household. However, reading fantasy books was the only way that Wufei could escape his harsh life.

He had no friends. There were no children who worked in the gardens, or none that served the king and queen. He was tutored privately in a separate wing from the palace. He'd sit in front of a tutor and learn. Lunch was brought to him, and there was no free time. Or no time for expression. Wufei loved to draw or paint or do creative things but he never could. 

/Maybe some of the people father is seeing will have children. But…even if they do, I won't be able to see them./ Wufei closed his book and hid it before walking down the _long_ hall to the library. The soft carpet felt soft against his feet. It was a royalty that he had to beg for. Carpets would only get dirty and stained, forcing the cleaning women to have to work twice as hard. 

Wufei promised he would be careful with the rugs. He didn't really know why his parents didn't want rugs in the house. Maybe too much dust, but Wufei knew it just wasn't the chore of cleaning them. "Oh, Master Wufei. How are you doing this morning?" A servant who was dusting in the library asked. "I am well." Wufei replied, looking at the long shelves of books. "You do know that your father has a very important meeting this evening don't you?" the servant asked. 

Nodding, Wufei pulled a book off the shelf. "I didn't know that it was this evening. He neglected to mention that." He said, opening to the first page. The servant smiled and bowed. "If you will be so kind to excuse me, I have to prepare for his majesty's engagements." Wufei bowed back and shoved the book back onto the shelf. 

Most of the time, he hated being the king's son. However, when he saw how it might be if he was poor, he'd much rather be the prince. "Wufei, good evening." Sally Po, Wufei's tutor said, in english. She always wanted Wufei to speak in English, for she said it was good practice. "Good evening Miss Po." Wufei replied. He didn't particulary like speaking English. 

"You're father is busy tonight. You should return to your room." Sally said regretfully. Wufei cocked his head to the side. "I probably should but I won't." Wufei was always a stubborn child. Sally grabbed his queue and pulled his back to his room. "I have been told to keep you here all night, or as long as this meeting lasts. If you wander off, I'll be punished for it. Understand?" Sally said sternly. Wufei nodded. Sally was a nice lady and he didn't want to see her hurt.

She smiled and closed the doors. Wufei layed on his bed and stared up at his ceiling. /Maybe I will wander around. But I won't get caught./ he smiled to himself and pulled on his white coat. That was another thing Chen disapproved of. A blue tanktop and white pants were not proper attire for a young prince. Wufei pulled open his doors and walked to the stair case that led downstairs. 

Making sure no one was around, Wufei crept quietly down the stairs. The 'conference room' was still a long way away so Wufei wasn't worried about his father finding him. There were little rooms in the hallway near the conference room where Wufei suspected any possible children would be kept. Once he reached them, he pulled open the doors. /No one in here./ He went to the next one. /Damn. No one here either./ He went to the last door and opened the doors.

Wufei's obsidian eyes widened to the farthest they could go. His father, King of China, dressed royaly in silken garbs, was in the arms of a woman other that his mother, Lan-Hui. Wufei stepped backwards in shock. Chen was kissing this woman with so much passion, it nearly made Wufei sick. She didn't look Chinese or Asian at all. She looked European, perhaps American. Chen's eyes opened and they looked towards the door.

Wufei took off and ran back towards his room. About half way there, he crashed into something. "Aye ya…" Wufei muttered, touching his hand to his head. "Son of a…" another voice mumbled. Wufei sat up, only to meet a pair of playful violet eyes. Before the boy had a chance to apologize, Wufei hopped up and grabbed the boys hand. He ran all the way to his room and locked the doors. "Uh…do you speak English?" the boy asked. Wufei had forgotten he was there.

"Some, yes…who are you?" Wufei replied breathlessly. The boy grinned. "I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell. My parents are here for some big important trading thing. Who are you?" he replied. Wufei cocked an eyebrow. How could someone of royal blood be so…playful and energetic and…happy? "I am Chang Wufei. My father is the King." Wufei refrained from adding, "Bow down before me."

Duo smiled and stuck his hand out before pulling it back in and bowing. "Sorry, didn't recognize ya. What were you running from?" Duo asked. Wufei was about to reply when there was a rather loud knock on his door. "Chang Wufei!" Wufei winced and shoved Duo into his wardrobe closet before opening the door. "Yes father?" he asked, bowing. Chen looked nervous. "Have you been in here since I left?" he asked. "I visited the library for a short while before Miss Sally made me return. Why?" Wufei asked. 

Chen growled and grabbed Wufei's collar. "Do not lie to me! I saw you there!" he growled. Duo pressed his ear against the door. /What the hell is going on out there?/ Wufei winced again. "…Yes father I was there and I saw what you were doing." He replied solemnly. Chen pressed his lips together. "You stay here and speak not one word to anyone. I will return to discuss this matter." And with that, he was gone. Wufei locked the door once more and sighed.

Duo stepped out of the closet and looked concerned. "What was that all about?" he asked. Wufei shook his head. "It's a private matter. Shouldn't you get back to where ever you need to be?" he asked crossly. Duo smiled. "My, my. You're not a very friendly person are you?" he asked. The Chinese teen crossed his arms. "I wouldn't know how friends would act. Due to my lifestyle, I cannot have friends." He said rather sadly.

Duo frowned. "Wow…so you have no friends huh. Well…I can be your friend!" he said with a smile. Wufei looked down at his carpet. "I…I do not think it would work out so well. You will only be in China for a short while and then what will happen? We will never see each other." He replied. The grinning American shook his head. "Well, my parents can't leave if I'm not with them. I'll stick around here for awhile. How does that sound?"

Wufei raised his eye brows. /He's so daring. I suppose things are less harsh in America./ "Won't you get in trouble?" Wufei asked, putting a hand his tense neck. Duo ran over and said, "Here let me!" Wufei blushed at how close Duo was to him. He had never been so close to anyone, rather not a guy. "Nope. Since my parents are too busy to actually love me, they pay for my love. So, if they get mad, I'll simply say that it was result of their neglection of me over the years." Duo said, his strong fingers working out the kinks in Wufei's neck.

"That is a rather remarkable plan." Wufei said softly. Duo moved down to Wufei's back. "Damn you're back is like a brick. Here, lay down so I can massage it better." He said. Wufei obeyed and layed on his bed. "Don't you have guys that'll do this for you here?" Duo asked. Wufei mumbled a no. "Mm…good." He sighed. Wufei noticed Duo was getting awfully close to his back area. He started blushing. "So what can we do other than massage each other here?" Duo asked, flopping onto the bed next to Wufei.

Hotaru

[1] Chang Chen or Chen Chang is a Chinese actor that was in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. I didn't want to bother Azzie by asking her for some more names! T_T 

[2] Unfortunatly, I don't know much about this stuff, so Azzie, and anyone else who does, if I give false information (which I hope I don't do) please please please let me know!


	2. Delicate Matters II

Delicate Matters 2/8

By: Hotaru

Warnings: AU, yaoi stuff…yeah.

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Wufei stood up from his rather large bed and walked to his window. It was nearly as big as the wall itself and it looked down upon the garden, which was within jumping distance. "The only place we can go is the garden." He said, turning back to Duo, who in turn replied, "That's fine with me. I bet you have a really nice garden." Wufei smiled and opened the window.

"I hope you don't mind jumping." He said, stepping onto the sill. Duo's eyes widened. "No, jumping onto a roof and sliding to the ground isn't dangerous or scary at all." He replied sarcastically. Wufei sighed. "You're willing to hide in this palace from your parents and yet you are afraid to jump out of a window?" he asked, not quite understanding Duo's tactics. 

Duo in turn shook his head. "Well, if I jump out the window, I'll get hurt. If I hide out in China I won't." he replied. Wufei shook his head and leaped out the window, onto the roof and then to the floor. Duo, after much pursuasion by Wufei, did so aswell. "That wasn't so bad." He said as they strolled down the aisles of flowers and bushes. 

"I do it on a regular basis much to my father's disapproval. He always tells me it is necessay to stay locked in my room when there are important people in the palace." Wufei replied, shivering slightly as a chilly wind blew by. Duo, who was still gazing at the wide assortment of flowers nodded. "Maybe he's afraid that you won't seem…I don't know…like a fit enough king or something," he mused, picking a white flower and sticking it in his hair.

Wufei stared at the ground. "Father seems to forget that I am not an adult just yet. I still have a child hood to live out." He said quietly. Duo licked his lips. "These are really beautiful gardens ya got here. I wish I could have ones just like them." He said slowly. Wufei smiled and they continued walking. "Duo—do you know anything more about this conference? Father merely told me that it was about trading." Wufei asked as they sat on a wooden swing in the middle of the garden.

Duo put his hands behind his head. "Well…my parents did mention something about foreign affairs…and opening the ports to other ethnicities. That's about it though." He said, pushing the swing back and forth with his legs. Wufei looked around the garden and sighed. "I'm guessing your relationship with your dad isn't too great huh?" Duo asked softly, not wanting to anger his new friend.

"Not exactly. But when your father is the king of China, you can't expect a normal life…although I do wish I had one." Wufei replied, resting his chin on his hands. "Well…I suppose we shoud be getting back now. We don't want anyone to worry." Duo said, hopping off the swing. He could tell Wufei wasn't used to the whole friends thing, but he'd get used to it eventually…right?

Wufei helped Duo climb onto the roof of the washroom. "Okay, how the hell are we going to get up there?" Duo asked, looking at the window to Wufei's room which was quite a distance from their standing point. "It's simple, we climb up that stockade and then crawl in from the top." Wufei replied, walking to the end of the roof. Duo shook his head and managed to follow Wufei. "I told you it was simple." Wufei replied as he climbed into his room. 

"Chang Wufei!"

Wufei's body froze. "Uh, a little help?" Duo asked, kicking his legs in front of Wufei's face. The Chinese Prince helped Duo in before turning to a very angry king. "Yes father?" Wufei asked as he and Duo kneeled to the floor. "We need to talk about some _very_ delicate matters." Chen said hotly. Wufei pushed Duo into his closet _again_ and stood sheepishly in front of his father. "You wanted to talk about something father?" he asked, wincing slighty.

Duo pressed his ear against the door but he still couldn't hear anything. "What is the meaning of this?! Who is that boy and why are you out..playing with him?" Chen growled. Wufei licked his lips. "We ran into each other father, and he wanted to see the garden." He replied softly. "Is he the boy that is missing?" Chen asked calmly. Wufei nodded once and stared down at his hands. "Well," Chen began, "The boys parents want him back now. Tell him to go back to them." 

Wufei knew that he shouldn't do what he was about to do. But dammit, he was gonna! "No." A strong hand slapped quite hardly against Wufei's cheek. Wincing, Wufei turned his head. "Why should I listen to you after what you've done? You have dishonored me, mom and my trust!" he threatened, only to have another hand slap the opposite cheek. "You cannot threaten me!" Chen snarled. 

Duo, who managed to hear most of the conversation was getting awfully worried. Those noises sounded like slaps and slaps hurt. "Well father, that is your choice. You can either make me give up my friend and you will lose the last ounce of respect I have for you and I will report this affair. Or you can let me keep him and I won't tell." Wufei said, wincing and expecting another slap. Chen stared down at Wufei with his dark eyes. He then turned and stalked out of the room. Duo, hearing the opening and closing door, pushed open the closet door.

"Hey…you okay?" he asked, noticing the two pink spots on Wufei's cheeks. Nodding slightly, Wufei pulled off his white coat, for it was uncomfortable and restricting. "So…what say you and me go get some food?" Duo offered, crossing his arms. Wufei shook his head. "We can't. I'm already on hostile terms with my father. If someone told him that we actually went out…it'd be all over." He said sadly. Duo frowned and hopped onto Wufei's bed. 

"Well then have one of your servants bring you something." He suggested, playing with the end of his braid. Wufei turned and shook his head again. "I don't like putting them to work. Father does that enough." He replied. Duo rolled his eyes. "Come on Wufei! You might as well use them while you can." He pursuaded. Wufei finally gave in and called down to the garden for some food. 

Duo, while waiting for the food, looked around Wufei's room. "And you have your own private bathroom?" he asked.

"Yes." Wufei replied.

"And no one uses it but you?" Duo contiued.

"That's what private means right?" Wufei asked with a slight smile.

"…It's yours?"

Wufei threw a small velvet pillow at Duo's head. "Hey, I was only asking! Besides, it's not going to be just yours. I'll need to use it too!" Duo said, smiling. Wufei raised an eyebrow. "Who says?" he asked. Duo stuck his tongue out and walked into the large bathroom. A huge tub was in the corner, covered by a pretty screen. The toilet was very much like a throne with a silken curtain going around it. "Wow…this place is nicer than my room. That's pretty sad when you think about it. A bathroom nicer than a bedroom." Duo said in amazement.

There was a knock on the door, and Duo pulled the door to the bathroom shut. Wufei opened his door and smiled at the large tray of food. "Here you are Master Wufei." She said, bowing. Wufei took the tray and smiled back. "Thank you Miss Ling." He said, bumping the door closed with his hip. Duo hopped out of the bathroom and ran to the plate of food. "Hey! Where are the forks?" he asked as Wufei handed him a pair of chopsticks. "Duo…it's rice and fish. I do not think you need a fork." He said, demonstrating how to use the chopsticks. 

"So…" Duo began but finding himself short of words. "Why don't you tell me about yourself?" Wufei asked. Duo grinned. "Well…I guess I can. Let me start out by saying I'm not their real son." He began. Wufei raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean? They adopted you?" he asked. Duo gulped down some tea and nodded before saying, "Yeah, they adopted me not too long ago..I don't know why. They don't seem to like kids very much." Wufei nodded and stared down at his rice.

"I don't mind them that much though. Except my 'dad' uses me for hard labor a lot." Wufei looked up and smiled apologetically. "Hard labor? He makes you work for him?" he asked. Duo nodded. "Yep. I guess I can't complain though. There isn't much else I can do ya know. Adoption isn't that popular anyway.." Wufei put the cover on the tea and dish of food. "What about you? Any interesting stories you have to tell?" Duo asked. Wufei shook his head. "No. My life is very simple. Wake up, eat, learn, study, eat, bathe, sleep." He replied.

Duo's playful violet eyes kept finding themselves attracted to Wufei. He couldn't keep his eyes off the young Chinese noble. "So..uh…um.." Duo desperatly needed to concentrate on something other than Wufei, but he was too damn cute. "Is something wrong Duo? Is there a bug on me or something?" Wufei asked, looking over himself. Duo turned red and shook his head furiously. "No…I just…find you…attractive." Wufei turned white…then red. Duo, who was still in shock of what he just admitted, hid his face in his hands.

"I'm sorry…" he mumbled. Wufei shook his head. "It's alright…you think I'm attractive?" Wufei mentally slapped himself. /Now you sound vain!/ Duo smiled sheepishly. "Well yeah. I don't find myself attracted to many guys, I guess you're one of 'em." There was a knock on the door. Duo slid under Wufei's bed. "Who is it?" Wufei asked. It was Miss Sally. "Wufei? It's time for your lessons. Come on out." Sighing, Wufei whispered under the bed, "Sorry but I have to go now. I'll be back before dinner."

Duo nodded and watched Wufei's feet walk to the door, and disappear. Duo pulled himself out from under the bed. "Hmm…what to do now." He murmured to himself. 

--That Evening--

"I don't know how long this will last Duo. You see, the servants bathe me, and I don't know how we'll be able to get you a bath too." Wufei said awkwardly as he pulled out a pair of silk pajamas for himself and Duo. "Well…maybe…is there anyone here you can really trust?" Duo asked. Wufei smiled. "Other than you? Only one person." Duo blushed and looked away. "Oh. And who would that be?" he asked, his voice shaking slighty. 

"My tutor, Sally Po. She's a nice woman." Wufei replied. Duo thought for a minute. "Can she bathe you?" he asked. Wufei snorted. "I think I can bathe myself just fine." He said. Duo nodded, and idea coming into play. "Well then, tell her about me…but make her promise on her life that she won't tell, and tell her to tell your bathing lady that she can stay out here while you and I go in the bath room. That way, you and I can help each other, and it can seem like she's bathing you."

Wufei blushed. The idea of another person bathing him, rather not Duo who was attracted to him…it was madness. "…Unless you'd feel uncomfortable." Duo added. Wufei sighed and said finally, "Okay. I guess that will have to work."

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Hotaru

Muahahahahahahahaha! Can ya feel the tension? The _sexual_ tension? :evil cackle:


	3. Delicate Matters III

Delicate Matters 3/8

By: Hotaru

Warnings: uhm…erm…same as the others I guess!

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Wufei called Ms. Sally to his room while, once again, Duo hid in the closet. He could hear their voices faintly. "What's the matter Wufei? You look..troubled." Sally said, sitting beside Wufei on his bed. "Well Ms. Po, there is something I need to ask of you. But you need to promise that you won't tell anyone. I need your trust." Sally's eyes widened slightly.

"Okay Wufei. You can trust me. What's wrong?" She asked. Wufei took a deep breath and said, "You know the boy that is missing from the conference?" Sally nodded. "Well…he's here. And I want him to stay here. That isn't the point though. We need you to tell the bathing lady that I don't need her so Duo and I can bathe together…to avoid suspicion for the water being run more than twice a day." Wufei glanced up at Sally's eyes. 

She smiled slightly. "Wufei, you know…this will hurt me severely if your father—" Wufei shook his head. "He already knows. Me and him have an understanding right now, and it is of utmost importance if you don't let anyone else know." He interrupted. /God…I really hope they hurry it up! It's damn hot in here./ Duo thought as he pulled off his coat. The silken garbs that were hanging in the closet looked mighty airy. 

"Okay. But only because I love you Wufei. Please, please don't get into trouble okay?" Sally asked, putting her hand on Wufei's shoulder. The Chinese prince nodded and kissed her gently on the cheek. "Thank you Sally." She bowed and was gone. "Duo, you can come out now." Wufei said after the closet remained closed. "Just a second." Came a muffled response.

Wufei walked over to the closet door wearily. "Duo? What's going on?" he asked. Ther door swung open, nearly breaking Wufei's nose in the process. His eyes widened beyond their limits. Duo had invited himself to try on a pair of Wufei's silken pajamas. They were all black, which was why Wufei never wore them. Black was too…depressing. "Wh…I…wow…" Wufei stuttered. Duo did look cute in those pajamas!

A short while later, there was a knock on the door. "Master Wufei, it's time for your bath." Wufei pushed Duo into the bath room and closed the door. "Come in." He said. A servant came in with a wash cloth and towels in her hands. "Thank you, but I'll do it myself. You can have a few days off." Wufei said with a smile. The servant bowed. "Thank you master Wufei." Wufei walked into the bathroom and turned the hot water on. It was best to have a hot bath. That way, it relaxes your muscles faster and if it cools down, it won't be freezing. 

Duo stood sheepishly while Duo pulled off his silky pajama shirt. "Duo…go behind the screen and undress." Wufei said, laughing slightly as Duo blushed tomatoes in the corner. "Oh…right." He said, running behind the screen. Wufei stripped off the rest of his clothes and slid into the tub. Duo came out, wrapped in a towel. He stood next to the tub and said, "Okay, I'm going to open the towel and you're gonna grab it so you…can't see anything. When I'm under the water, you can move the towel." Wufei nodded and took the towel.

What was Duo so embarrased about? It's not like Wufei didn't have a chibi of his own. There was an awkward silence as they sat in the tub. Wufei pulled the elastic out of his hair and dunked his head under the water. Duo's hands flew to cover his member. Wufei giggled under the water, causing a few bubbles to rise to the top of the water. He lifted his head up and laughed some more. Duo grinned and put his hand behind his head. "Oh…heh…sorry. I'm sorta shy." He said. 

Wufei grabbed Duo's braid and started to unravel it. "Here, I'll wash your hair first." He said, turning Duo's body around so his back faced Wufei. "Okay.." Duo replied nervously. "So…any interesting stories to tell?" Wufei asked. Duo shugged. /Strong looking shoulders./ "I guess…I have a cat at home. She's a real cutie. She likes to stay with me when I'm working. When I sleep outside on the hammock, she sleeps on my chest. But my dad says she's annoying and gets in the way. He's kind of a two mirrored guy. He'll come off nice to everyone but be a bastard to me."

What happened next surprised Duo. He found Wufei's arms wrapping around his chest and holding them tightly. "I..I…" he stumbled. "Mmm…I like this.." Wufei whispered. Duo smiled weakly. /Was that a pass? Is he making passes at me?! Gods I hope so!!/ There was a knock on the bathroom door, causing Wufei to pull back. "Y-Yes?" he asked. "Master Wufei, your father is here to see you." The door swung open and Chen's eyes widened more than physically possible. 

Wufei turned white as a sheet. Chen grabbed both teens by the arm and pulled them out of the tub. Wufei shouted at his father in Cantonese, while he desperatly tried to find a towel to cover himself with. Luckily, the servant managed to give Wufei two towels. "What the hell are you doing!?" Chen shouted. The servant left quickly, closing the door tightly. Wufei quickly wrapped the towel around his waist, while handing Duo the other one. "What do you think?! We were batheing." Wufei replied. Duo watched dumbfounded as the two Chinese men argued back and forth. 

"And you think this is okay?!" At this rate, someone was going to hear the commotion. "Why isn't it father?! You think it's perfectly to go screw another woman—" :slap: Duo jumped as Chen's hand struck Wufei's cheek. "One day or another father, you're going to realize that this can't be solved with you slapping me! Grow up!" Duo wondered what Wufei was saying that was getting him slapped. "I will discipline you as I feel necessary. For the time being you will not question my actions, understood?!" Wufei nodded weakly and Chen was gone.

"Oh Gods are you okay?!" Duo asked, crawling over to the very wet, naked Wufei. "Yeah. I'm okay." Wufei replied, crawling up from the floor. "Jeez, what happened?" Duo asked. Wufei pulled a few more towels from the bathroom closet and sighed. "He asked what we were doing, I told him, he asked if we thought it was 'okay' to do so, so I brought up his affair. Don't worry about it." He started drying his hair, while he sat on the bed. Duo wrapped a towel around his hair and joined Wufei. "So..he's having an affair?" Duo asked, drying off and making sure the towel stayed around his waist.

Wufei nodded. "Yeah. The only reason you're still here is because of that. If I didn't know…" Duo layed back on the bed and sighed. "Man that sucks. How do you know he'll let me stay?" he asked, putting his hands behind his head. Wufei stood up and went to get his silky pajamas. "That's what we'll have to pray for." 

The Next Morning…..

"Aaah! I gotta get out of this room. Isn't there any where we can go Wufei?" Duo moaned. Wufei shrugged. "I don't know. We can risk getting caught by some servants but father's out doing buisness today." He said with a sly grin. Duo hopped up from the floor and ran to the door. "Then come on!!" He took Wufei's hand and slid out the door. They escaped to the library, where they managed to slip out the window into another garden full of colorful flowers and swings. "Wow…this place is great!" Duo said, sticking his head into a bush of flowers and inhaling deeply.

"Isn't it?" Wufei smiled, sitting on a swing. Duo grinned and flopped onto the lush green grass. "I could stay here for hours…and it smells great too! Like a million flowers all in one place." He sighed and looked over at Wufei. "I wish I could stay here with you forever." He said sadly. Wufei rested his head on the rope of the swing. "Me too…"

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Hotaru

Yeah that was kinda dull. I'll try to get another _good_ chapter out soon! 


	4. Delicate Matters IV

Delicate Matters 4/8

By: Hotaru

Warnings: as always, yaoi, language, mean king, Wufei being a cocky young prince! ^.^;

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"Hey! Let's..play or something!" Duo said, hopping up from the grass. Wufei looked at him awkwardly. "Uh, play? What do you mean?" he asked. Duo sweatdropped. "Play…y'know, fun? Come on! There's so much space to do fun stuff." Wufei still looked confused. "Okay, okay. You're not used to the whole 'playing' thing. How about we play tag. I tag you and you're 'it' , you chase me until you tag me. Then I'm 'it' okay?" Duo said exasperatedly.

Wufei nearly fell to the floor. "What do you mean 'it'? What is 'it'?" Duo rested his head on the tree trunk and sighed. "'It' isn't anything really, just what you're called. And when you tag me, you say, 'You're it!' and we just chase each other until we're too tired to move." Finally, Wufei understood. Duo grabbed his hand and ran deep into the garden where large hedges full of flowers loomed around. "Okay, you're it!" Duo said, poking Wufei's shoulder and running away. However, Wufei got a hold of his braid and he was on the floor.

"You're it!" Wufei said, almost like a child. He ran away giggling as Duo recovered from his fall and chased after him. "That wasn't fair Fei! You're not allowed to grab my hair!" he shouted, feeling branches and leaves slapping him in the face. "You never said that!" He heard Wufei's voice say to the left. Duo saw a figure from behind a bush and he leaped through. "You're it!!" He shouted, until he realized it wasn't Wufei's pants he had latched himself onto, it was a servant. "Uh…sorry!" Duo turned and fled.

He turned around a bend and saw Wufei hiding behind a tree. "I..got ya!" he said breathlessly tumbling to the floor. Exausted himself, Wufei slid down to the ground and rested his head on Duo's hips. "You were lucky that time." He said tiredly. Duo was grinning like a mad-man. Here was the soon-to-be-king of China, who happened to be dead sexy, resting on him…his hips no less! "Yeah…I guess we should go back inside now." Duo murmured. Of course he wanted so badly to bask in the bright sun shine with Wufei but, no doubt, that servant would be around again.

Wufei sat up and nodded. "That sounds like a good idea." He said, helping Duo up, while pulling himself up as well. They headed back inside to the library, their legs tired as hell. Sally was pouring over a pile of open books. "Wufei?! What were you doing outside?!" She asked, pulling off her wire rimmed glasses. Wufei smiled, he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "We very well can't stay inside all day." He said, cocky as ever. Sally frowned and glanced at Duo, who was slumped in a chair. "I need to speak with you Wufei." She said, speaking in Cantonese for once.

Duo's ears perked at the sound of a different tongue. He watched Wufei follow Sally into a room in the second floor of the library. They went into a study room of some sorts. "What is it Sally?" Wufei asked, crossing his arms. Sally frowned again. "Look..I don't know if I should even tell you this..but…" she began slowly. Wufei tapped his foot. "What is it Sally? We have to get back before father gets upset." He said impatiently. Sally sighed. "Well, I think it's too late. He's planning to return the boy to his parents at any given moment. He didn't want me to tell you— Wufei wait!!" 

Wufei flew out of that room and his eyes widened in horror. Two of his fathers soldiers were heading towards Duo. "Duo!! Get out! They're going to take you!" he shouted, running down the stairs, only to slip and fall down the last few. He looked up from the floor and cried out as Duo was dragged out of the library. "Wufei!" he was shouting, tears streaming down his face. Wufei jumped up from the floor and chased after them shouting. "Duo!! I'm coming! Please…Duo don't go!!" Two more guards stood in front of Wufei, who kept running, and pushing against the strong soldiers. 

"Let me go!" he sobbed. He managed to squeeze past them and made it outside. "Duo!!! Please don't leave me!" he cried, hot tears blurring his vision. More guards came and held him back by the arms. "Wufei!! Gods let me go! Wufei! I'm sorry…I love you! Please gods let me go!!" Duo screamed, kicking and flailing his arms, doing everything in his power to get out of the mens firm hold. Two people stood by a carriage. They looked American and were most likely Duo's 'parents'. Chen stood with Lan-Hui (Wufei's mom) with a smug look on his face. 

Wufei continued to struggle. /He can't be leaving! He..he can't./ As the carriage left, Duo stuck his head out the window and watched sadly as Wufei's figure began to get smaller and smaller. /I didn't want to leave him…not ever./ 

Hours after Duo had left, Wufei continued to stare at the road, hoping Duo would return. Wufei heard footsteps on the soft gravel. He could tell it was his father. "How could you do this to me?!" Wufei hissed, still staring down the road. "It was the right thing to do." Chen replied stoically. Wufei swirled around and glared daggers at his father. "The right thing to do?! According to you and your goddamn officials?! I hate you! How could you do this to me?!" He shouted. "You brought this upon your self! You never should have brought him into your room and you never should have become friends with him. _You_ are to blame."
    
    Wufei stood there for a moment, staring at the man before him. Wufei spat at his father and ran back to his room…Sally was waiting for him. "Wufei…I'm so sorry." She said solemnly. Wufei stormed into the bathroom and cracked the mirror with his fist. Small, paper cut size cuts lined Wufei's fingers. He tore the screen down, and thew the towels onto the floor. He didn't speak, only threw and stomped. He pulled a painting of his father down from the wall and cracked it with his knee. Sally could only watch as Wufei tore his room apart.

Eventually, he'd tire out, but Wufei was a strong kid. A short while later, after Wufei collapsed onto his bed, Sally pulled his head into her lap. "Oh Wufei…I'm so sorry. It wasn't fair at all…" she stroked his head, pulling the loose strands of hair back behind his ears. She went into the bathroom, which was a mess, and wet a wash cloth. She then ran the cloth over Wufei's tear streaked face. She ran the cloth over his neck and the front of his chest, hoping to calm the boy's rage.

----The next morning----

Wufei was slightly surprised at the mess known as his room. Clothes, tables, and even a painting were ripped, split or cracked and laying on the floor. He glared at the painting of his father. He hated that picture and the man on it. With one thing set in his mind, Wufei went to the closet and pulled out a old back pack made of old cloth. He stuffed a few things inside, before changing into a tannish outfit that was fit for travelling. 

After that, he wrapped a cloth around his head and face, to hide his identity for the most part. After that, he made his way to the treasure room and grabbed a few priceless gems and a _lot_ of money. He slipped outside unnoticed and headed into town. It was already hot as hell, and the sun was barely up yet. Wufei made sure he had a canteen full of plenty of water. He couldn't very well get dehydrated now. The walk to town was a long one. Luckily, it was bustling with people.

He went to the market and bought some fruit, that'd be his lunch _and_ dinner. After resting at a small restaurant, Wufei went to the transport area. Carriages and horses were available there. He need a horse to get to the ocean and he needed a boat to get to America. Unfortunatly, the rules were that the horses could only go a certain distance. Wufei stood in front of the tall man in charge. "You need a horse eh? Well, pay up son." He said, sticking out a leather sac that hung from his belt. Wufei held up a ruby. The man eyed it as if it were worth a thousand star lit nights.

"…Alls you need is a horse you said?" he asked, salivating slightly. Wufei thought for a moment. "No. Give me an umbrella and another canteen. One for me and the horse." He said, fingering the ruby. The man nodded and went to fetch the items quickly. Wufei sighed and looked down at his feet. /I'm coming Duo. I'm going to find you and tell you, too./

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hotaru


	5. Delicate Matters V

Delicate Matters 5/8

By: Hotaru

Warnings: yaoi, language and Wufei cockyness!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A short while later, Wufei was heading east. It was a long way to the ocean and he doubted he'd be able to make it there all by horse. /I'll probably have to stop at another town to rest./ Wufei sheilded his eyes from the bright sun. Not much was passing through his mind at the time, other than that he had to get to Duo as soon as possible. He didn't even know where he lived. That would be a problem. All he knew was he was in a fishing town. 

/What was it..the name…was it…Maineland..no. Mass…Maine..is that it? Maine?/ Wufei jumped off his horse and sat on the ground. He took out his canteen and took a long gulp. /It will be a lot cooler at night. Maybe I should sleep now and travel when the sun goes down./ Deciding on that, Wufei set up a tent and made sure his horse was secured. 

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Duo groaned as his parents pushed him onto the boat they were taking home. "I can't believe you boy! Running off like that!" His father grunted, and he kept pushing until they reached the room they'd stay in. "Your father's right Duo. That was very wrong of you." His mother said quietly. Duo was pushed into a chair. He immediately put his head on his knees and sighed sadly. "I wanted to stay there. Me and Wufei were friends! How come I have to come back?" he asked. It seems like Wufei's cockyness had rubbed off on him.

"What?! What?! Are you talking back to me? Honestly, I forget why we ever took you in sometimes." His father muttered, sitting down on one of the beds. Duo hid his face so they couldn't see his tears. /Oh Wufei..I wish I were back in the garden with you./ he thought sadly. Duo was sea sick by the time they reached the docks. "Come on Duo. We have to get home." Duo's mother said, shuffling towards the boat.

Duo kicked a stone and snorted as he saw a seagull. How could they live by the sea all their lives and not get bored of it? "Yeah. Right." Duo muttered. Duo's father John was greeting the captain. He hurried behind Duo and patted him on the back _hard_. "Come on boy. There's lots of work to be done. You have to help those slaves again when we return." He said. Duo snorted. "They shouldn't be forced to work dad. It's not right." He said, climbing into the boat.

Duo's mother, Annette, frowned. She didn't speak much, partially because she had a throat illness of some sort and partially because she was afraid of what her husband would do. "Well son. I don't think it's right either but it gets them money, yes?" John said. Duo looked down at his hands. He knew he was lying. He didn't give a rats ass about him rather not the slaves. Duo didn't like to travel with his parents. He didn't like to be with them at all. Amazingly, he prefered to be fishing with the others. [1]

His parents chatted softly, probably about the conference and what not. Duo only thought about Wufei. And how he blurted out his feelings. /I can't believe I said that I love him…but I do. I hope he loves me too…but still. What the hell does it matter? The chances of us ever meeting again..I don't even want to think about that./

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Wufei's hopes were finally beginning to rise as he smelt sea air. /Thank the Gods!/ he sighed. As he neared the water, he heard loud voices, and smelt the salty air more and more. Sea gulls flew all around scavenging for food, and chasing those with some. Wufei hopped off his horse and decided to walk the rest of the way. /Duo…he's going to be so surprised when he see's me./ 

As Wufei saw the ocean, he couldn't help but smile. It looked so cool and refreshing. The gateway to his..love?! Is that really it? Was he in love with Duo? 

Truth was, Wufei didn't know exactly how he was going to find Duo. Granted he actually made it to America before his father dragged him back home for _severe_ punishment. As long as he kept a low profile, he would be able to make it. Wufei reached the docks and headed to a small house with a sign ontop that read. "Boat leaving for American colonies at sunset." Wufei tied his horse to a stake in the ground and went to the small house. 

"Can I help you boy?" the man behind the counter asked. Wufei didn't like to be called 'boy'. It was an insult to his maturity. "Yes sir, I would like a seat on the boat leaving this evening." Wufei said. The man, who looked old and raggedy peered at Wufei. "And how do you plan on paying?" he asked, getting quite close to Wufei's face. 

Wufei pulled a piece of gold from his pouch and dropped it onto the table. "What can I get for that?" he asked. The man examined the gold quite thoroughly. "It'll pay for the boat ride _and_ all the food you need." The man exclaimed, locking the gold in a secure box. Wufei nodded. "Good then. Is there a place I can bathe here?" he asked. The man nodded slowly and led Wufei to the back where there was a huge basin full of water. "That's all we've got boy. You can use it if ya want."

/I have to get used to this life. I don't ever want to go back. Except maybe to steal some more money./ Although he felt uncomfortable, Wufei managed to clean himself off. The sun was starting to set as Wufei headed back outside. "Hey there boy. Time to go." The man from earlier said. "Excuse me, can you please make sure my horse gets back to this place?" Wufei asked, handing the man a piece of rice paper with the location he received the horse written on it.

"Sure can. My son is the captain of this ship and I'll make sure he takes good care of you." The man smiled and tipped the straw hat he was wearing. "Thank you." Wufei said, bowing respectivly. Wufei headed onboard and sighed. /I'm coming Duo. I don't how soon, but I'll find you./ "Hey you there! Come here for a sec will ya?" Wufei looked up as he saw a man, not too much older than he, motioning in his direction. "Yes?" Wufei asked curiously.

"Are you the one who was waving that gold piece around?" the man asked quietly. Wufei nodded. "Ah. My father told me about you. My family thanks you for the riches you've brought. Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Tseng [3]." Wufei smiled and replied, "Wu…Chen. Wu Chen." /You stupid fool! Gods I can't believe I almost gave out my real name. I'd be done for if that ever happened./ Tseng grinned and headed to the front of the boat. "I thought you were going to say Wufei Chang for a minute. That would explain why you have that gold." He said incredously.

Wufei tossed his bags to the floor and smiled. "No. That's not me." He said lamely. Sure it was him. "You don't seem too sure. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone your secret." Tseng said. Wufei started to panic. "I told you, that's not me. I'm no prince." He said angrily. "Okay, okay. Fine, I believe you." Tseng said, although he didn't quite believe it. 

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

The boat ride home was going to be long and horribly boring. Duo didn't like to be with his parents for more than an hours time. But now he'd be with them for days. While John was down in the kitchen, getting drunk most likely, Duo was resting. His mother sat quietly across the room, knitting or something. "Momma…will we ever go back to China?" Duo asked. Annette sighed deeply. "We, no. Your father and I, perhaps." She replied softly. 

Duo moaned and punched the wall. "Why not momma?! I want to go back there and be with 'Fei!" he said angrily. Annette sighed and kept knitting. "Please be quiet Duo. Your father might return soon and you know that after he's been drinking…" Duo snorted. John was strong but not _that_ strong. Duo grumbled to himself and sighed. It's been only a short while since he left, and already his heart is yearning to be with Wufei. /I guess they were right when they said you never know how much you love something until it's gone./ 

*~~~*~~~*~~~*

Hotaru

[1] Duo refers to the slaves as others because he feels like a slave himself.

[2] Tseng ala Final Fantasy VII


	6. Delicate Matters VI

Delicate Matters 6/8

By: Hotaru

Warnings: as always! There's nothing else in this chapter…

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

As known, John returned to the bunk, drunk off his ass. Duo pretended to be asleep so he wouldn't be bothered. But usually, that didn't matter to John. If Duo was on his deathbed, he'd probably still hit him around for awhile. "Whattime'shit?" His voice was slurred, and he probably thought he was walking on the wall or something. "It's past midnight." Annette said softly. She always waited up for him, even though she **knew** she'd be better off asleep. 

"When'd the boy go in?" John asked, kicking off his boots and flopping onto the bed. "Not too long ago." Annette replied, staring at a wall. "Did'ja make sure he said his prayers?" John mumbled. Duo nearly snorted. /Prayers? Ha. I stopped praying when He stopped answering./ His mother never really bothered him, unless John was around. "..No. I didn't realize he was asleep." Duo smirked. Just like his mother to lie for him. She must sorta care for him.

John belched loudly and spit in the corner. "Yeah well he needs all the help from above he can get if you know what I mean." He snorted before spitting the candle out. Duo stayed up for awhile. He never slept soundly with his parents. He stood up and crept on deck. The boat was still moving and only a few crew members were still up and about. /I wonder what Fei's doing now. Probably sleeping in a nice bed covered head to toe in silk…thinking about me..and what I said. God Duo you're such a fool! How the hell could I have possibly imagined that he'd be gay, _and_ like me?!/

"Hey boy, shouldn't you be asleep?" Duo turned to where the voice came from. A tall man with long platinum blond hair. He looked like a European or something. "I should but I'm not. Why do you care anyway?" Duo nearly kicked himself. He was always coming off as a jerk to old people. The man smiled however. "Demons in your dreams?" He asked. Duo smiled as the man offered a small cup of wine. "Not so much in my dreams." He replied, gulping down the drink.

The man leaned against the rail and sighed. "My name is Miliardo Peacecraft. I was here for a foreign dignitary meeting. And you?" Duo smiled to himself. The Peacefcrafts were fairly well known for their high classy behavior, not to mention their money. "Duo Maxwell. I've heard of you, well your family at least." Duo said, sticking out his hand. Miliardo, who was wearing white gloves and a royal red coat smiled and shook it firmly. "That's always nice to hear. As long as you've heard good things." He said. Duo shrugged. "Just that the Peacecrafts are the richest family in Europe and their eldest son is taking over..something of the sort."

Miliardo chuckled slightly. "Ah…rumors spread quickly I see. That's partially true, but you would be arrested for espionage if I told you any more." Duo grinned although he wasn't too sure of what espionage was. Probably spying or interrupting the royal family. "Yeah, well I better get back downstairs before my parents wake up. Thanks for the wine Mr. Peacecraft." Duo said. The man nodded. "You've got a good head on your shoulders. Nice speaking to you. Good night." Duo nodded back and walked back downstairs. Maybe that wine would help him to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey…hey kid are you okay?" Wufei opened his eyes. "Eh…what happened?" he asked, sitting up in an unfamiliar room. Tseng sat back in his chair and handed Wufei a cup of water. "You made a mess of the deck and nearly fell over board. I guess you haven't been at sea much eh?" he asked. Wufei gulped it down and sighed. "No. This is my first time. Where am I?" he asked. /Oh no, what if I'm not on the ship anymore? What if they stopped off in Africa or some foreign place?!/ Tseng smiled. "Relax, this is my room. Since I'm the captain I get clean sheets and a soft bed."

Wufei sighed and layed back down. "Thank you…how far until we arrive in America?" he asked. The room was sort of spinning. "In about a day or so. This is one of the fastest ships around you know." Tseng replied. /A few days. Please wait for me Duo! Please Gods let him wait for me!/ "Why don't you come on deck? Maybe the fresh air will help you." Tseng suggested. Wufei sat up, and realized the cloth covering his face was gone. "Relax, your majesty, I know who you are but don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Tseng said, smiling slightly.

"You can't tell anyone…my father will kill me if he finds out what I'm doing." Wufei said seriously. Tseng nodded and pulled Wufei on deck. "So why **are** you leaving anyway if you don't mind my asking." Tseng asked. Wufei stared down into the water. "I…I have to find someone. He…they mean so much to me and the only way I'll really be happy is if I'm with them." Tseng smiled. He had a nice smile. "That's great, you know, that you found someone that special. And so what if it is a guy? As long as you're happy." He said. Wufei nodded. He was starting to feel apprehensive about him telling Tseng. 

/I'll stay with Duo and never come home again. He can tell everyone he wants when I'm out of sight. He'll probably make a lot of money of the story too./ "You must be hungry after you threw up all your food. Come on. You want to go fishing with me?" Tseng asked. /I'm starting to think he's flirting with me./ "Okay. I've never fished before." Wufei said, following Tseng to the back of the ship. "It's best to do it from the back because all the fish come after the bubbles and stuff. Here, do it like this…"

Several days later….

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

"Duo! Boy get your worthless ass over here!" Duo cringed as his father's voice rang through the air. They would be docking in a few minutes. "Sorry Mr. Peacecraft, my dad'll beat me senseless if I don't obey him like a dog. It was nice meeting you." Duo said. Miliardo nodded. "Be good Duo, and try to have a little fun while you're still young. If you don't, you'll regret it." He said. Duo smiled and shook the man's hand again before returning to his parents. "Who's that you were talking too boy?" John asked. Duo flopped onto the floor.

"Eh, some European job. He's a nice guy." Duo said. John shook his head. "Those damn Europeans…who was he? What was his name?" he asked. Duo shrugged. "Bill something or other." He lied. He never gave out the real name of his friends, that would be just plain stupid. They docked and immediately went to get a ride home. "It feels good to be back on solid ground eh?" John said, pulling Duo close. "Yeah pop. Sure does." Duo replied. 

They went home in a fancy carriage that cost a whole lotta money. Duo's father was always spending money like it would all disappear one day. When they were home, they were greeted by the house maids and fisherman. Duo slid to the back of the house to meet Zak. He was a kid they picked up at a slave auction. Honestly, it was sick how people could sell people just like that. But Zak was ok. He didn't talk much but was a nice guy. "Hey Zak. Did you miss me?" Duo asked, flopping onto the hay. Zak nodded. He was a bit younger than Duo with dark skin that looked like cocoa.

"Hey, I got you some wine so drink it later okay?" Duo said, handing the bottle to Zak. He nodded and smiled again. "Okay." He replied. "Did you have good time?" Duo smiled widely. "Yeah. Sure did. I met the prince and fell in love." He said softly. Zak probably didn't know about love yet anyway.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

Hotaru


	7. Delicate Matters VII

Delicate Matters 7/8

By: Hotaru

Warnings: the usual…yaoi ness and cussing

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Wufei enjoyed the rest of the day fishing with Tseng. He liked living like a normal person, and even having to work for his dinner. "Tseng…how long until we arrive?" he asked as they were finishing up dinner. Tseng laughed softly. "You asked me this morning, a few days. You have to have some patience." He said. Wufei sighed. He didn't want to wait to see Duo any more! He needed to feel Duo's warmth, touch his silky hair…

"What do you do to occupy your time while at sea?" Wufei asked. /I won't get my mind off of him unless I do something else!/ Tseng shrugged. "Well, the ship mates and I…we get a little drunk and sing until we fall asleep." He said, grabbing a bottle of wine. Wufei eyed it. /If I get drunk, I'll pass out, and **hopefully** I'll be out for a few days and wake up when we get to America…yeah right./ "Wine?" Tseng asked, holding a cup to Wufei. He nodded.

/Might as well…but…shit, forget about what father would think./ He gulped down the wine and banged the glass on the table. Tseng chuckled softly. "No no, wine is to be enjoyed. Drink it _slowly_." He said, pouring another cup. Wufei drank it, this time he savored the sweet taste rolling around his tongue. "Mm…it's good." He said. 

Believe it or not, Tseng and Wufei spent the rest of the night getting drunk, and having conversations with seagulls. By the time Wufei woke up, they were about a day away from America. "Are you sure?" Wufei asked when Tseng told him how long he was out for. "You can't handle alcohol I guess. And yes I'm sure." Tseng replied. Wufei could barely contain his excitement. He was only a day away from seeing Duo again! Oh, the surprise when he would jump into Duo's arms and never let go! Wufei stayed on deck, watching the clouds float by, and smelling the sea air.

He started to remember the things that he and Duo talked about while they were together. ~/ "Hey Wufei, do you think that we'll be together again?" Duo had asked one night. Wufei rolled over in bed and gazed down at his newly found love. "But Duo, we're still together now. Why are you asking?" he had asked, puzzled. Duo smiled slightly. "Well…just incase I guess. You never know what will happen. For all we know, you're dad'll rat on us…but let's not jynx it okay?" he said, yawning. Wufei had nodded, and went to sleep. He never thought about what Duo said, because he never wanted them to be apart.~

Wufei jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Tseng. "You see that over there? That's it." he said, grinning broadly. Wufei's eyed widened. "…You mean..that's it? We're there…I mean here?" he asked excitedly. Tseng sort of shrugged. "We'll be there by sunset." He replied. Wufei smiled and rubbed his hands together. It was a little chilly on deck with all the sea breeze. [1] "Well that's great! …Tseng…I want to thank you, you know..for all you've done." Wufei said bashfully. Tseng smiled down at Wufei and chuckled. "Well, it isn't every day that you meet a prince…besides, I always try to help people when they need it. You're a good kid." He ruffled Wufei's slicked back hair and smiled. /I think he looks at me like a younger brother or something…it's nice./

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

"Boy! Boy! Get your lazy ass out here right now!" Duo winced and rolled off of his bed. It must be fishing time again. But it was _always_ fishing time! "I'm coming!" Duo called, pulling on his working clothes i.e: a pair of blue overalls and a white dress shirt. When Duo ran outside, the fishing crew was waiting for him. John tossed a crab cage at Duo. "The kid here found this floatin' a ways down land. It's a crab cage. You know how to use it don'cha?" John asked, pulling a bottle of gin out of his pocket. /Sure I do. After all, if you know how to toss a fishing net in the water, you can do anything!/

Duo nodded though. He had seen the other fishermen using crab cages and it looked easy enough. John then tossed something wrapped in white paper. "What's this?" Duo asked. "It's raw meat, the fat cut off from supper. Put it in the cage and send 'er on down." John then proceeded to stumble back inside. Duo nearly hurled at the sour smell of the meat. "Okay you guys, let's go before we get our asses kicked again!" he said, heading down to the docks. "So Zak, you found this cage huh? Pretty cool." Duo said, nudging the smaller child with his elbow.

"I thought family would get more money and eat better." Zak replied. His English wasn't too bad, Duo thought. "Well, I hope so. You need to get some meat on your bones." He replied. Zak smiled and put the package on his arms. "There, meat!" Duo laughed softly. They reached the dock and started to set up the trap and ready the net. Duo held his nose as he put the meat in the cage. "God that stuff reeks!" he snorted, tossing the cage into the water. He let Zak hold on to the rope and dangle his feet in the water. Meanwhile, Duo helped the others with the net and stuff. 

Unfortunatly, they didn't have a boat, meaning they caught very few fish. "Duo! Duo! Crab!" Zak exclaimed, tugging on the rope. Duo grinned. "Okay then, pull it on up!" he said, helping pull the rope. "Whoo hoo! Jack pot! How many are in there…seven? Great job Zak!" he said cheerfully. /Damn…Need a bucket./ "I'll be right back ok? You stay here and guard this cage." Duo said, running back home. /Oy…Wufei, I wonder what you're doing now…probably facing the wrath of your old man…/ Duo grabbed a bucket from the side of the house and started to run back to the dock.

"Duo…wait."

/Shit…what does she want?/ Duo grimaced. It was his mother calling from the kitchen window. Duo walked up to it and sighed. "Yeah mom, what is it? I really need to get back to the docks—" Annette nodded and took Duo's hand. "I love you. Don't you forget that alright?" she said quickly, before closing the window. Duo scratched his head and sighed. His mom sure was weird—one minute she's quiet as a mouse and the next she's all caring and sweet. Duo started to run back to the dock, but stopped. He looked around…he thought someone was watching him…no, he _felt_ someone watching him. 

He shook his head and sighed. /Must be my nerves or something./ He looked around once more before running back to the docks. When he arrived there, there was a bunch of crabs running around on the dock. "Oi Zak, what happened?!" Duo exclaimed. Zak shrugged and continued to jump away from the claws of the vengeful crabs. Luckily, Duo managed to get most of the crabs into the bucket and the rest into the water before any toes were snapped off. "Well, I think that's enough crabs for one night. C'mon Zak, lets get inside." Duo said, cautiously picking up the crab bucket. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Everybody off!"

Wufei's head snapped up. They were there…he grabbed his bags and raced up on deck. The sun was already gone, and there were a few lanterns keeping the area lit. "Hey kid. C'mere." Wufei turned towards Tseng and asked, "Yes, what is it?" he was so anxious to get off the boat and start looking for Duo. "You be careful out there allright?" Wufei nodded and said one last goodbye before he ran off the ship. Duo talked about his house, which was supposed to be right near the docks, but there were so many houses right there by the docks that Wufei didn't know where to start.

/It might be better if I stayed somewhere tonight and looked in the morning but…I can't wait that long./ Wufei went to a fishing house with it's lights on. "Hello?" Wufei called through the screen door. "Yeah? Who's there?" another voice replied. Wufei stepped inside the dimly lit house. "I'm looking for someone and perhaps you can help me?" he said. It was good thing Ms. Sally taught him English so well. "Well who is it?" A burly man came from a back room. "His name is Duo Maxwell…his family fishes somewhere around here…do you know them?" Wufei prayed to the Gods the answer was yes. 

"Maxwell…lemme check mah charts." The burly man replied, pulling out a rather large list of names. "Masterson…Marlen…ah here we go, Maxwell. Yeah, they live around here." He said, running his finger down the list of names. Wufei nearly burst with excitement. "Well where!? I need to find him!" he nearly shreiked. "Who are you? I just can't go give out where people live to some strange boy." Wufei smiled to himself. He pulled out a piece of gold, not worth much in China. "Do you see this? It's a piece of gold from China…and there's a boat leaving tomorrow morning. You go there, and show them this—they'll give you what ever you want."

/That was wrong but I really need to find Duo right now!/ The man peered at Wufei strangely. "Is'zat where you're from?" he asked. Wufei nodded. /Come on…please work./ "Okay…he lives about a mile down that way, in a brown house." The man said, snatching the almost worthless gold. Wufei smiled, bowed and started to run. /I'm finally going to find him…finally…/ 

:crash:

"Aye ya…" Wufei muttered, touching his hand to his head. "Son of a…" another voice mumbled. A feeling of déja vu hit Wufei like a brick. /Isn't this…exactly the same way..me and Duo met?!/ Wufei looked up and nearly had a heart attack. "Fei?! Holy shit….is that really you?!?!" Wufei nodded, and was glomped by Duo. "I can't believe it's really you….how the hell…oh God it's really you…" It seemed almost like a dream. Almost too easy…Duo held Wufei close. "Fei…how did you get here?" he asked, calming down slightly. 

"I took a boat…I stole money from the palace and came here. I couldn't bear to be away from you." Wufei replied, clutching Duo's braid tightly. "I never even imagined…that you'd..come." Duo sobbed. Wufei held him tighter. "Oh Gods Duo…I couldn't stay away…" 

Hotaru

:p

[1] Grr! My school is right by the water and there is always freezing wind from the stupid ocean! 


	8. Delicate Matters VIII

Delicate Matters 8/8

By: Hotaru

Warnings: good ol' yaoi…how can it not be? Uhm…that's it I guess

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Wufei and Duo held each other close for what seemed like an eternity. The night didn't seem so cold, now that they were together, enjoying each others warmth. "Is this a dream Wufei? It certainly feels like it." Duo said into Wufei's hair. "Mm…no. Dreams are never this wonderful. And never so clear…if it _were_ a dream, I wouldn't be able to see how beautiful you look in the moonlight." Duo broke into a furious blush and immediately hid his face.

"I still can't believe that you're here." He admitted. Wufei stroked his face gently. "But I am, and that's all that matters." He said, kissing Duo's forehead softly. "So..what's going to happen?" Duo asked finally. Wufei tilted his head. "What do you mean?" he inquired. Duo sighed and scratched his head. "Well…are you going to stay here? Or are we gonna go somewhere else…back to China?" he asked meekly. Wufei smiled softly. "I haven't thought that far yet. What do _you_ want to do Duo?" 

Duo shrugged. He wanted to get away from his parents, run away west somewhere and live deep in the woods…he'd feel awkward if they went back to China but…wouldn't Wufei feel the same if they stayed in America? "We can do what ever you want Wufei…let's move back to China! We can grow bamboo and stuff…or maybe we can live by the ocean and be fisherman!" he said eventually. Wufei took out his bag of gold and jewels. 

"This is all I have left…if we were to go back to China..I could sneak into the palace and get more money when ever we need it. Or…I could go back for real…and get the crap kicked out of me. Father won't let me take over now for sure. It's up to you Duo." Duo hated being faced with important decisions. /If we go back to China…he'll be happier, plus the whole money factor. And all I want is him to be happy./ "Aw man…I don't know Wufei…I really don't know what to do. Can we at least sleep on it?" he asked.

Wufei nodded, after all, he hadn't slept on solid ground in days! They headed towards Duo's house, talking quietly. "How was the ride over?" Duo asked, walking past the front door to what looked like an old barn. "It was alright. The captain of the ship I was on was awfully nice. You would have liked him." Wufei replied, suddenly very tired. "Oh yeah? I met some aristocrat from Europe. He was pretty cool I guess. But I had to deal with my dad's shit the whole way over."

Duo sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I've been fishing since we got back. No time to even relax…here we are." They arrived at the old farm. "What is it?" Wufei asked. As a royal Chinese prince, he couldn't imagine sleeping in such a filthy looking barn but then again—he probably wasn't a prince anymore. Chen would rather disown him. "This is where all my dad's workers stay. It's okay inside…I actually stay here sometimes. They're all real nice people Wufei."

They stepped inside the dimly lit barn full of people. A fire was roaring in a ditch surrounded by stones. There were beds made out of hay everywhere, and some pots and pans as well. "Everyone, this is my good friend Wufei. He came all the way from China just to see me!" Duo said, putting his hand on Wufei's back gently. Wufei received warm smiles all around. "He's gonna be sleeping here tonight with me, so make some room." Duo seemed to be more comfortable with the workers that with his family. 

They made room for him to sit, along with Wufei and handed them some food. "Yo Zak, come here." Duo motioned for a boy to meet Wufei. "Who's he?" Wufei whispered. "He's my friend Zak. He's a real smart kid too." Duo whispered back. Zak sat down shyly and smiled at Wufei. "This is Wufei. He came allll the way from China…that's a couple days away from here." Duo said, scooting over onto the hay. "You came all the way from China? Why?" Zak asked curiously.

"I came to find Duo. We're very good friends and I missed him." Wufei replied. Zak smiled and nodded. "Duo is my good friend too. He helps me catch crabs that bite my feet." He said. Duo snorted. "You should have seen him Wufei, there must have been fifteen of 'em snapping at our feet today. He just kept catching them and tossing them in an overflowing bucket." Wufei, and the rest of the workers laughed. They managed to talk about anything and every thing, but both Wufei and Duo could barely keep their eyes open anymore.

"Okay kiddo, you better go to sleep now. It's way past your bed time." Duo pursuaded Zak to go to bed so he and Wufei could be _alone_. Duo had a 'big brother' persona to him sometimes. "I feel so tired…" Duo moaned, falling gracefully onto a pile of hay. Wufei pulled a velvet-like blanket from his bag and laid down next to Duo. "Doesn't it get cold in here?" he asked, shivering slightly. "Not if you have some one to keep you warm." Duo replied softly. 

He pulled Wufei's blanket over his body and snuggled up against Wufei's. "Goodnight Wufei." He said sleepily. "Goodnight Duo." Wufei replied, resting his face in Duo's soft chestnut hair.

By morning, Duo's arms were wrapped around Wufei's and vice versa. They both smiled sheepishly when they found out just how they spent the night. "So…what're the plans?" Duo asked, yawning. Wufei sighed. "Well…where do you think we would live easiest?" he asked. Duo shrugged. "I guess China…I mean, you're the prince after all…and maybe you can talk to your father and work things out. Just tell him how you feel…he **has** to let you live how you want."

Wufei smiled and stroked Duo's cheek softly. "If only it was that easy…Duo…things are a lot more different in China then they are here. It's a lot stricter. But still…if you think things would be better in China…then lets go…Tseng, the captain of the boat I was on, said he's going back tonight. Do you really want to leave everything behind?" he asked. Duo smiled. "I don't have anything _to_ leave behind. Silly Fei…you actually have something in China. I think that'd be best…if we go." He said. Wufei smiled. Inwardly, he was hoping they'd return to China.

He would never feel at home in America. "Okay, get your things ready, and leave a note." Wufei said, standing up and stretching. Duo raised his eyebrows. "A note? What do you mean…like, 'I've gone to the country side to live my life as a lumberjack. You'll never see me again, take care of Zak, Love Duo?'" Wufei smiled and nodded his head to the side. "Something like that."

A short while later………..

"You can't go Duo! You can't!" Wufei winced. Duo told Zak they were leaving. /Poor kid…they're close as family…not my family though./ "I have to Zak. I wish I could stay but I can't. I'll miss you little brother." Duo sounded so…devestated. Truly, he was leaving his friends and even family behind. Wufei was about to turn around and call the whole thing off. "You're my best friend Duo…please be good." Zak sounded so teary-eyed. 

Duo appeared outside, his eyes slightly pink as if he were crying. "Ready?" he asked. Wufei nodded. The two headed to the docks and boarded the ship that would take them back home to China. Duo stared into the woods at his house. His mother was probably in the kitchen baking muffins or biscuits. His father was probably chasing chickens to cut off their heads and laugh as they ran into walls and fences and Zak was probably crying on his mothers lap.

After the boat had departed, Annette went to find Duo so he could do his chores. Instead, all she found was a note on his bed.

__

Dear Mom and Dad,

I'm going away now and I won't be back—ever. Dad, I know you probably don't care since you don't really care about anything but your goddamn self, but Mom…I know you'll be sad for awhile. I'm sorry that I wasn't a good son and didn't do what I was told. But hell, I'm a rebel. I'll miss you where ever I'm going and I'll probably think about you every day. Make sure Dad doesn't hurt Zak or any of the other workers. Do me a favor, give Zak the rest of my candies that are hidden in my sock drawer…and don't tell Dad about it. He'll just get mad. 

If you're wondering where it is I'm going, I can't tell you. Just know that I'm happy and I'll be better off here than there. I'll write to you if I can…but don't get your hopes up. If you ever miss me, just look out to sea and wave—I'll see you. Take good care of yourself. I love you.

Love, Duo

Hotaru


End file.
